Tribunal panel must be fair

We receive complaints from unrepresented employees that they are disadvantaged by tribunals when coming up against employers who are able to use experienced lawyers or HR professionals.

The chairman and members of the panel always take great care to ensure that a fair hearing is granted to all, and that cases are determined in accordance with the law and the evidence presented.

If it is contended that a hearing was unfair and/or the tribunal was biased, the remedy is by way of an appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

I would advise any aggrieved party to use the appellant process if they consider a decision is wrong in law, rather than to harbour a sense of grievance which, in my view, is wholly justified.

On the other hand, if the complaint concerns the conduct of a chairman or member, the proper course to adopt is to complain to the regional chairman or to myself, giving as much information as possible to enable a full and fair investigation to take place.